High-profile plant-based-meat maker Beyond Meat (BYND 4.19%) announced today it's increasing the variety of its products available at existing grocery partners, giving customers a wider selection of its foods to choose from. The move doesn't boost the number of partner stores where the advanced meat substitutes are offered, but will increase "the brand's existing in-store presence" at thousands of retail outlets.
The products include Beyond Meatballs, a bulk pack of Beyond Burgers dubbed the Cookout Classic first rolled out at Walmart stores last month, plant-based pork-flavor Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links, and several types of Beyond Sausage, such as the "Hot Italian" variety. Kroger and privately held Wegmans Food Markets are among several grocery chains that will feature the additional meat-free products on their shelves.
Image source: Beyond Meat.
In the same press release, Beyond Meat said demand for its products is still growing strongly, driven by studies claiming the plant-based meats are healthier and better for the environment than traditional animal meats. The company cited "improvement in key health metrics when participants replaced animal-based meat with Beyond Meat's plant-based meat" in a published Stanford University study, as well as a University of Michigan examination of Beyond Burgers indicating a 90% cut in greenhouse gases during production of its faux burgers compared to standard beef burgers.
The increased range of products on U.S. shelves comes just one day after Beyond said large-scale production of its meat substitutes is starting in China. Analysts seem to be bullish about the company's prospects as it continues expanding its existing footprint while working on partnerships and research aimed at boosting its future growth, too.
